Falling For Him
by SneverusSnapers
Summary: "I, Marie Eyre, am getting married today. And I'm pregnant with another man's child." Marie Eyre's life in district eight is far from tranquil; a life of lies, deceit and hidden love never mind the hunger games. But some truths can never stay hidden...
1. Prologue

**A/N: Wow! Someone came to see me! This is the prequel to Gnawing Hunger, though if you haven't read Gnawing Hunger it doesn't matter at all, in fact the plot won't be spoiled for you so it's probably better. The actual story will be set before and after this prologue. This will be written in Marie Eyre's POV but if you want someone else's then tell me and I might be tempted to do a one-shot for you. Just shout. This epilogue is a slightly edited version of a one-shot I have written but the rest won't be.**

**Disclaimer: ****Suzanne Collins owns the hunger games. If I did then no doubt it would have a lot more random bits in it and everyone would "killer pinch" each other all of the time!**

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><p><strong><span>Falling For Him<span>**

_I, Marie Eyre, am getting married today. And I'm pregnant with another man's child._

_I shake all over as the maids dress me up ready for the ceremony. I feel so guilty about Assec. Assec Jaymond has been courting me for a while now, and still I have none other than neutral feelings for him. He's always liked me, with my golden honeysuckle hair and deep blue eyes, who wouldn't? But Assec went further than the others, he stuck by me even though I repetitively told him that I had no interest in him, and now it's going to pay off. Now we're getting married._

_I can't believe I did it. Harroc is a father, and a good husband to his wife, but he fell for me. Who wouldn't? With his hair as black as night and eyes such a dark brown that they seemed to be deep pits in the earth, going on for oblivion. Yes, I fell for him. Now I'm pregnant, but no-one knows, not even my mother. If I tell anyone I'm like this than my family name will be ruined forever, so that's why I married Assec. It's early enough for him to be mistaken, to think it's his child I'm carrying. He doesn't need to know any differently, this is my life that has tangled me up in this, and when the child is born I'll escape into the woods with Harroc._

_I don't know whether I'll bring the child. Harroc begged me to, but I'm not so sure. Assec is so desperate for a family; it would be terrible to deny him of one. But now it's my wedding day. Most people feel joy or stress or anger or upset. But me? I feel nothing on my wedding day, I feel nothing at all._

_My blonde hair is tugged into excruciatingly painful positions by the maids. Usually I would have snapped or got angry, but now I just sit down, hiding into my reserved and patient shell that I have fixed upon myself for the pregnancy. I must try to look happy for the wedding though, I must try to look happy for Assec._

_I'm ready. The thought frightens me more than ever. I'm ready to go and get married to a man that I do not love and never will, but what makes it worse is that he loves me and I have to pretend to return the favour. My body shakes with nerves; this is going to be harder than I thought._

_Then the church doors open and I see Assec standing there, grinning gleefully. I pump up my face with joy and I slowly glide through the church with an elegance of a swan, all eyes attached to me. I look like a fallen angel, and I'm not afraid to hide it. How I hate to live the lies that I do, but soon it shall be all over and I shall run away with Harroc into the woods and never see district eight ever again. But I think there's one problem to my master plan as I glide down the aisle towards Assec, my eyes never leaving his clean shaven face and winning smile._

_I think I'm falling for him._


	2. What Could Go Wrong

**So here's the first proper chapter of 'Falling For Him'. As most of you are no doubt aware this is the prequel to Gnawing Hunger and I am currently writing the sequel, Shattered Hearts, at the same time. The prologue was a one-shot which I was asked to expand on and I decided to make into a sequel. That one-shot is from a collection of one-shots from Gnawing Hunger called 'The Realisation Of Hunger'. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and review at the end!**

**~SneverusSnapers**

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><p>Hatia swings the dress at my head and I have to duck low to avoid it. The mesh of colours swoop over my head, streaking the air with vibrancy and liveliness, just like the feelings Hatia presses on me every day.<p>

"Hatia Upendo." I say in the highest regal tone my voice can muster, "Please refrain from trying to hit me with my dress."

"Come on Marie, loosen up a bit! Enjoy the feeling, the fresh air, and the general happiness that seems to emanate from the district." Hatia chirps happily, forever optimistic, her deep brown eyes dreamy at the thought.

"Not today Hatia, today is the reaping day, do you think anyone is happy?" I snap, but Hatia is used to me being like that and doesn't take it any differently. That's the thing about Hatia – she's never worn down whatever happens.

"I'm happy, you're happy." Hatia replies, smiling gleefully.

I study her short curly brown hair and her gleaming smile alongside her chestnut brown eyes and almost raw pink skin. I find it hard to bite back the words 'I am never happy'. It's true. Most girls my age, fifteen, would kill for what I have. Yet I would blow up half the district just to be normal. They don't understand the feelings of depression I get, the pressure I'm under. I have to be perfect; everything about me has to be perfect. My looks, my posture, my tone of voice, my manners, my behaviour, my feelings, all of them have to be perfect. So no, I am not happy, I am never happy.

"Why are you always happy?" I ask her, genuinely puzzled, and she looks down to the floor slowly, her face almost embarrassed.

"You've got to stay happy Marie, whatever happens. You have to stay happy for those around you that need it."

I find my eyes rolling automatically, "Really, what a load of rubbish. No-one needs me to be happy and definitely no-one wants me to be happy, life would be so dire if everyone was happy."

"You have to stay optimistic Marie. Now anyway, where was I? Oh yes, I think you should wear this dress."

I look at the dress Hatia has outstretched in front of me and barely glance at it before brushing it aside, "No, no. I want something simple; let me complete the rest of the look."

"Modest." Hatia chuckles. Hatia is the only person I would let address me like that. My mother is very strict and house proud and all the time I spend near her is cold and civil, and my father is always away on business, though being the daughter of the main supply merchant in district eight does have its advantages. I get anything I want, even friends. But they aren't friends; none of them are, except Hatia. I remember when we first met: I had been having a really bad day. And by really bad I mean firing my maid, smashing dishes and shouting at my mother really bad. It was all because my father had decided to stay in the Capitol for another six months. I was fuming. So I stormed out of the house and went to the stables. Yes, now I know everyone thinks I'm a total stuck up prat with no love for anything or anyone in the world, but the truth is I have a love for horses. Our stables are my sanctuary. Well, when I say 'our' I mean the district eight stables where everyone keeps their horses. So I went to the stables and found a girl standing there, stroking my horse. I almost bit her head of I was so livid that she would even dare touch Skye, my speckled white mare. But then I saw that in fact it wasn't Skye, just after a long screech had escaped my lips. She understood immediately when I explained and we talked for a bit and I discovered the horse she had been petting was her stallion and that she actually lived quite close to me, in the rich part of district eight. Although I never apologised our friendship grew from there.

I find my hands gravitating towards a white dress stuffed at the back of my wardrobe which I only vaguely remember buying years back, only to find it was too long for me. I stroke the plain dress with a slight hem of lace and an elegant neck and hold it up for Hatia to see.

"I'm wearing this." I say bluntly, is if daring Hatia to disagree. Hatia looks at it and smiles, nodding her head slightly in an approving way.

"It suits you, but what will we do about this one?" Hatia asks, holding up the mesh of bright colours that have carefully been printed into a dress.

"You wear it." I say simply and Hatia almost chokes on thin air.

"Are you being serious?" Hatia asks me in amazement.

"No, I just felt like saying that." I roll my eyes in distaste at Hatia's stupidity, "Of course I'm being serious you idiot! Now go and try it on." Hatia nods obediently at my words and scurries out of the room holding up the dress as if it's a priceless artefact or something of equal value. I tut distastefully at her, really she can be very stupid for one brought up so well. Though I do love Hatia really, with her quirky ways and priceless smile, I just can't help but to scold her for even the smallest of things. I just guess it's my mother shining through me. I just hope I don't become a spitting image of her when I grow up or things could become really bad. I already have her looks. I have blonde, almost golden hair which I have tussled into roman style ringlets piled up on top of my head and then I have quite pale skin, but still slightly tanned and deep mesmerising blue eyes that seem to come alive when I'm truly happy. That has only ever happened a few times in my life. Once, when I was born, according to my father and the second which I am highly ashamed of, when I believed my mother was dead.

Hatia comes through and we both stare at each other in awe. Hatia's almost pinkish complexion has really come to life with the dress, it makes her seem even more lively and cheerful than normal if that is even possible. The dress seems to flatter her posture and she almost looks as lively as out escort.

"You look... stunning." Hatia breaks the silence and I manage to close my mouth, refraining the gawp of amazement.

"You do too." I manage to stutter, complimenting Hatia.

"Shall we go to the reaping then?" Hatia asks and I find myself meekly nodding in reply. I never knew Hatia could look so good. Her bushy brown hair which is suspended hanging just above her shoulders curves around her face and the dress somehow matches it, despite not containing a bit of brown. I guess it is the purple. Purple is definitely her colour. I'll have to arrange for her to get a purple dress made for her, it really would suit her. You would think that this being the textiles district there would be an abundance of outfits, but it is actually virtually impossible to get a semi decent outfit on the right side of the law, and if anyone knew that I had been doing otherwise then my family's reputation would be shattered. So I have to keep my head held high and wear the shoddier clothes, with maybe the odd bribe to throw in something else. But that is expected, what isn't is getting some of the beautiful outfits you find on the edge of the market. But if you were to go there you would stand a decent chance of getting mugged.

"I guess so. We should check on Skye and Mister though, we should go and see if they're alright." Hatia says, breaking me out of my worrying thoughts.

Mister is Hatia's horse, the one that is almost identical to Skye. We thought they were related at the beginning but it turned out just to be a coincidence, they just look alike because they're the same breed.

"They'll be fine." I say, dismissing the thought of them with a wave of my hand, but my face becomes suddenly serious, "We're the ones who should be worrying."

"It will be fine, really, it will. Neither of us have tesserae, what could possibly go wrong?" Hatia consoles me, but I still have a bubbling thought in my stomach.

What could go wrong? What could go wrong indeed...


	3. Go Marry A Goat

**As you can no doubt tell by the slightly obscure title here, Marie goes a bit off character. But she's in a bad mood and she gets like this in a bad mood and with ones lower than her generally, but if it's a really bad mood she doesn't really talk to people like that. I actually had quite some fun playing around with this and since the basic outline was given in Gnawing Hunger I decided that kara wouldn't have been told what relly happened. No doubt Kara will be told the truth in Shattered Hearts but still not all will be told, just glimpses of reality. Kara was told what happened on her mother's fifteenth reapings, but she wasn't told in what manner it happened and the way she adresses it, it sounds a lot more glorious. And in this chapter we manage to meet the much anticipated (for one chapter) Assec Jaymond.**

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><p>The reapings. I realise where I am, yet I show no fear. Fear is not for me, fear shouldn't be for anyone. I ignore the clamouring of a bunch of girls swarming all over me and smile politely and nod as well as converse when needed. But I'm not paying attention on them. I'm paying all my attention to Hatia who seems to not just have bought up the attention of me but of all of the boys around. They're staring at the pair of us like we're goddesses. Of course I'm used to this, I practically am a goddess to them, but Hatia isn't and she blushes madly, embarrassed. I can't believe her sometimes, she is so fickle when it comes to boys. She just doesn't understand that the more you ignore them the more they want to talk to you; they want you to be unobtainable.<p>

Of course I would never scorn her that much, just in a slight playful type of way. Hatia knows that even if no-one else does. It's just me, it's just my personality. People should get used to it if they want to keep their heads above water. I barely glance at the peacekeeper and he bows his head politely to us and ticks my name off the list. Hatia has to stop and fumble through words, trying desperately to find her name on the list. To help her out I simply step back and carefully push Hatia out of the way.

"Marie Eyre and Hatia Upendo." I say in the most regal and commanding voice I can muster and almost drag Hatia to the fifteen year-old girls section. Hatia struggles against my vice like grip at first but then gives in and lets me tug her into our space. Of course all of my so called friends are there and I find myself leaving Hatia to converse that doesn't seem to please anyone since all of my so-called friends seem to dislike Hatia, I guess they think she's claimed me and beaten them to where they never had a chance in a million – being my friend.

I barely say anything after a few simple words of greetings from the mayor and our district escort, Kessler. Kessler is not a man you want to mix with. He's Capitol brawl, not brains and he certainly has more of a build of a victor than an escort. But that's just the Capitol surgery, I doubt he's done an hour's exercise in his entire life. I almost hiss at him under my breath like an angry cat, but I keep my emotions in check and simply bite my lip, causing a small amount of bleeding. I sigh impatiently and snatch the nearest clean handkerchief out of my follower's outstretched palms and dab my lip with it. At the sight of blood there is almost a mad frenzy around me. Honestly, it's like they've never seen blood before.

I manage to push them back just when the mayor is finishing his speech and hands it over to Kessler. Just about the only desirable trait about Kessler is that be doesn't beat about the bush and almost immediately after a quick 'happy hunger games' the boy's name is drawn out of the reaping ball.

"Quigley Shocker."

Quigley Shocker is no shock at all. A grubby commoner who probably has enrolled in enough tesserae in his lifetime to buy a mansion steps up. I can tell his like – a family scapegoat. By the looks of it Quigley is either not liked or has a fatal disease resulting in him not having very long to win so the family decided that one child should take all of the tesserae, and who other than Quigley, the no doubt much hated member of the family. Usually it is like this, sometimes I wish that one of my so-called friends would get reaped. That would sort them out, them and their big mouths, trying to suck up to me. I'm just thankful the Capitol like father otherwise I might find my name being drawn out of the crystal orb.

I barely note Kessler withdrawing the next slip, the female slip, and checking the name. At the name his face merely raises an eyebrow and then he clears his throat, trying to raise the tension. All it raises is the amount of people thinking about 'accidently' pushing him off the stage or tripping him up. Kessler is far from liked here in district eight.

But then Kessler messes around and I find myself thinking, _what if_, I know it sounds stupid, _but what if it's me_? I brush the thought away almost immediately. I'm rich, I'm powerful, I haven't taken a single tessera in my life and everyone loves me. Well, ok, everyone despises me but I'm vital to the district. Without me the hierarchy would sink since I am pretty far up the food chain in the future. I'll probably end up marrying the mayor or something. But definitely not the current mayor, the old bore. And anyway, he's already married to some cheap good for nothing girl who is only about my age, in it for the money no doubt. It did turn a few eyes when the wedding was announced, I can tell you. And set a few tongues wagging as well.

"The female tribute for this year is-" Kessler plays around with this name. It must be someone important if he's being like that. _Like me_. The thought is scary, very scary. As long as it isn't me I'm fine then. As long as it isn't me. It isn't me. I'm not fine.

"Hatia Upendo."

Ok. That's not good, that's really not good. I glance at Hatia but she barely meets me eye, she's just staring at the man holding up the slip, flabbergasted. Then slowly, carefully, she moves forward, the crowd parting to let her make her way. I can already hear the whispers, the common folk will be glad it's her; the rich will think it is a scandal. I don't. I think it's stupid. It's so stupid. Hatia steps up to the stage and nods silently at Kessler, her lip wobbling silently as she struggles to keep herself upright and not to fall over. She trips slightly, her shoe catching on the stage but she manages to stumble forward but she reaches low down and almost falls flat onto the stage before managing to regain her composure. I hear the girls around me laugh menacingly and suddenly I feel a new emotion boil all over me – anger. She is going to die and they are laughing, laughing at her. I manage to gulp back the string of insults I have tied to my tongue and stand upright. I cannot show any emotion, I am not meant to feel, to have proper friends. Like father said, friends are just people you leech off. That's certainly mother's place. With family as well. Mother is almost as bad as the mayor's wife. She didn't want me. She said it to my face. She has said it to my face every single day since I was born. I wasn't wanted, I don't fit in. So I have tried desperately to fit in, to be regarded as someone important. But that will never happen, not with mother anyway, not with that leech of a wife that my good father has.

My thoughts shock me, I should be regarding mother in the highest esteem. She is my mother after all, she is important. But really, honestly, I feel nothing for her, nothing at all. My true friend is Hatia. My true friend is going to die. But as Hatia stumbles up her face is one of shock, total utter shock, and she stares gormlessly at the pieces of paper inside the reaping ball. She regains her composure though and joins our victors, Oswald Bourne and May Flutter. Oswald is as mad as the hatter and May might seem polite sounding but she is as rude and obnoxious as a person could be. I shudder to think what Hatia will turn into at their hands, especially with them being about as ancient as the district itself.

But the reapings end and everyone piles out of the square, me leading. I need to go; I need to have some time to myself. But my friends, my so-called friends are laughing and giggling. Laughing and giggling, how dare they, don't they know that Hatia is going to die? But that's why they're happy. They're happy of Hatia's death. I will show them. I will show them indeed.

"You keep using those tongues and I'll have them cut out. Personally!" I snap and it is no empty threat. I will, but I haven't finished yet. "You think it's funny do you, that Hatia was reaped? That my friend was reaped? That my only true friend was reaped? Well you have another thing coming. Go away, shove off, and if I see another one of you I will ensure that you'll have to claim tesserae next year due to money problems because of me from your stupidity and then you'll be the ones who are reaped. We'll see who is laughing then!" I scream at them and they barely take a glance at each other until they scamper off except one, Lilac I think, stays.

"I am so sorry Marie," Lilac chokes, "If I could-"

"Get lost!" I yell and Lilac hurries off too with a polite nod in my direction, acknowledging my feelings. Acknowledgement isn't enough, she should understand. They all should understand. I growl deep inside my throat and stamp off towards the justice building. But just as I am about to get there a moron of a boy is blocking my way. I hit him hard, really hard.

"Go away you commoner!" I yell angrily at him.

And then I notice. Then I notice the boy I just hit is Assec Jaymond, the son of Lord Jaymond, my father's business rival. Good. No, no, not good. Bad, very, very, very bad.

I gape at him. But suddenly, without any warning, Assec suddenly hugs me. I mean, he hugs me. I know I'm meant to be polite but still, he hugs me, at a time like this? I don't even know him.

"Get off you freak!" I scream at him and he looks shocked at my tone. I guess I am too. Before he can register what fully happened I hit him once more for good measure, but this time I slap him in that ugly, moronic face of his.

"Go marry a goat!" I yell and storm off towards the justice building to see Hatia, Assec's shocked face an image stuck into my mind. I'll pay later when he tells mother of my foul behaviour. But at the moment I couldn't care less, I have bigger fish to fry.


	4. Exchanging Hearts

**Sorry I took so long to update this chapter. I would list reasons but I know you don't want to hear them; especially when it includes computer viruses, registers, robin hood and a packet of ancient japanese sweets. See? You don't want to know. Harroc is shown in this chapter, and the exchange of "hearts" has a lot more to it than meets the eye. So Marie says goodbye to Hatia and meets Harroc. Pretty much this chapter in a nutshell. Enjoy and don't forget to review so I can know how to improve and how you feel on it.**

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><p>"No." The word escapes my lips before I have really noticed it, "No, I don't want this."<p>

"What can you do Marie?" Hatia's voice breaks through the air and her face, bright and happy just an hour or so before is now cold and accepting. Accepting one thing. Accepting she's going to die.

"I can, I can talk to people, I have power, my parents have power. Maybe we could swing this. The Capitol can't want this."

"That's where you're wrong Marie." Hatia says and by the confused look on my face she sighs and explains, "You don't get it do you?"

"Get what?" I stammer.

"When I tripped, I saw the reaping ball and the slips, the slips inside them."

"What about them?" I ask to Hatia's puzzled face.

"They, they all had a name on them."

"That's the point of it Hatia," I sigh, my commanding voice still coming through, "that's the point of it."

"No, they all had the same name on them. They all had my name."

"But, but that means-" I stutter.

"Yes Marie, they rigged the reapings."

My thoughts whirl around my head. Rigging the reapings? No, it can't be true and even if it was why? Why would they do that? Why would they want Hatia dead, she's no threat, she's no trouble. She hasn't done anything wrong so why was Hatia reaped? As if reading my mind from my baffled look Hatia speaks up.

"My father."

Of course. Hatia's father is far from liked by the Capitol. He runs some sort of factory but I think he tried to charge the Capitol extra for the goods he was giving them to give the workers a decent wage. He was a hero back then as was his factory, before the accident. A leaky gas main, they said. The whole factory blew up in an instant. Hatia's father wasn't in there luckily but hundreds of workers were, hundreds of workers died. Suddenly the hero of the community became hated, despised. They blamed him for it, for the deaths of almost a whole community. Children were orphaned, families ripped apart. But that wasn't enough for the Capitol. They had to hurt him more, bruise him in a way past compare. They had to take his daughter.

"No." I gulp, "no. I should have volunteered, forced one of my followers to volunteer, something, anything!"

"No Marie," Hatia says calmly, "I am going into those games and, and I'm going to fight. And I'm going to try my hardest to win. But, but just in case could you maybe look after something for me, until I come back?"

I look up at her and hold open my palm and she drops a simple golden ring into it, a deep blue sapphire like my eyes smelted onto the loop. "Until you come back." I confirm, knowing full well that Marie isn't coming back. I feel so heartless, so uncaring. My whole world is being ripped apart, Hatia's life is being taken from me and all I can do is seem upset, not even looking like I am being so. I won't even cry. I feel the pain yet I'm no showing it, I'm hiding it behind a self service screen that automatically hits me. A screen I have built up through time and time again of small talk and supposed ignorance of mutterings my way. I am expected to act like a lady, screening out any feelings of true emotion and engaging as one should. So I have become like that, solid, strict, commanding.

"Marie." Hatia says with such determination it snaps me out of my dream and I twirl around to look at her face in such hard concentration it is hard to stop myself from blacking out by the sheer feel of it all, "Listen to me, and promise me something."

"Anything Hatia, anything." I say and I mean it. I will promise her and I will keep it, I will keep my word.

"Whatever happens to me in there, in the arena-" Hatia falters but with a slight out of character smile from my behalf she stumbles on, "I want you; I want you to stay the same. I don't want to change and neither will you. But still, I don't want it to get to you; I don't want whatever happens to me to get to you. You, Marie Eyre, you are someone important, or rather you will be. You can't let my, my death change you."

"You're not going to die!" I shout angrily, pain racking through my voice, I forbid it! I forbid you to die!"

A gangly peacekeeper stumbles in and murmurs slightly, "Lady, lady Eyre. You need to go now. Your time is up."

"Wait." I command in one of my strongest voices and he pauses, unsure of what to do.

"Listen," I say, turning back to Hatia, "I won't let you die in there. Mark my words. I won't let it happen." This just causes a small weak smile to fall onto Hatia's face and mingle with the solitary salty tear streaking down her cheek.

"Lady Eyre-" The peacekeeper persists.

"I said wait!" I scream in desperation, losing my cool outer shell and the peacekeeper's ears flush red and he stands still unsure of what to do.

"Just remember Marie, don't change. Do what you have to do, continue, continue on your path to where you should be. Do whatever it takes to get there, whatever it takes." Hatia stumbles across her words.

"You gave me your ring, I'll give you mine." I say desperately and pull my ring off my finger. It's a clear diamond, large and chunky yet sparkling in the light as if the very air makes it shine and slice up any rays of light into flickers of emotion and feelings. The large diamond shaped like a heart is perched on top of a clean polished silver loop, simple yet effective. By the look in Hatia's eyes that is definitely one huge present. I barely hear Hatia stutter "I can't take this" by the peacekeeper insisting I really have to go now. I nod courtly and stagger out of the room.

That's it. No words of true friendship, no loving hug, no caring tears. Just a good luck in other words, not even that. How strict and evil am I? I'm some sort of over-controlling post brat; no wonder no-one likes me. No-one that matters anyway. I march out of the justice building in a dazed trance, my thoughts hurtling around my head. It just hits me then. Hatia is going into the hunger games. Hatia is going to die. I keel backwards and find myself falling. I command my leg to move but it won't, it just won't budge. I can barely hit and I feel unconsciousness seem to sweep over me, but before I can seep into a sleep I feel sturdy hands catch me and gently move me back up. I hurriedly swivel around to see the face of a servant I think I've seen around my household before.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The boy mumbles and I know there are feelings deeper than the words allow. He isn't just sorry for touching me, Marie Eyre, the daughter of Lord Eyre, no, he is sorry for everything that has happened to me. But I cannot seem to be weak in front of a servant so I pull myself together.

"Thank you-" I say, and then pause, waiting for him to insert his name. He seems to get the gist a bit too late but after a meek bow he complies.

"Harroc, Harroc Carver at your service ma'am."

His voice seems light and fluffy, sweet and almost sophomoric in its tone that could probably set the mockingjays alight in song, but as soon as it starts it stops and I look into his face, his hair is as black as night and his eyes are such a dark brown they too almost seem black, deep pits in the earth that tumble into oblivion. I try to hide myself so it doesn't seem that I am scanning his face, almost perfectly sculpted. Maybe if he was someone else of a higher class at a more convenient time that suited my family and Hatia hadn't just been condemned to death then I would be interested in him. But at the moment I have much more important things to think about, or rather worry about, Hatia's life for one.

Then there's the ring. I don't know much but I do know Hatia never went without that ring; it was like part of her, a second skin perhaps. But now she has given to me to look after for her, and I will look after it. I'll look after it until she returns. But I am no fool; Hatia doesn't stand a chance in there. Hatia has no hope whatsoever, the same amount of hope as just about any district eight has ever had; no hope at all. She is going to die and I might as well accept that now to save me the pain for later. But somehow some part of me can't accept that, some part of me clings onto the tiny smidgen of hope that remains in my hindsight. Some part of me, however miniscule, tries desperately to believe that she can come back, that she will come back. Yet I know that part of me is wrong.


	5. Clipped Roses

**Here we have another chapter. As you probably have learnt this isn't being updateed quite as speedily as everything else, but that's because it's on quite a low priority with me at the moment. I hope you like this one. This is more off the hunger games and onto the life in district eight side. I was thinking about it, I've written a story in the point of view of a tribute, a mentor and a family friend of a tribute. I think they are all pretty good. By the way, I've already written the lst sentence for this story (who's a keen bean?) so I know the basics of what is going to happen, anyway, that was mapped out in Gnawing Hunger and still is in Shattered Hearts. I hope you read and review!**

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><p>Roses come through to my room the next day. My maid, Celeste, has that look in her eye that says she's going to spread a billion snippets of gossip through the district about me about a secret admirer so I snap at her angrily and tell her to get out of my sight which causes her to scarper off. I pause as I glance at the tag attached to the bunch and note that they have been clipped of thorns. Pity. Then it will hurt less when I shove them down whoever sent these's throat. They could at least try to be tactful. Everyone knows that I, being one year off the marriageable age of sixteen, though it appears to be closer to a week than a year for my birthday is in exactly five days, am a free high end bachelorette whom everyone looks up to in respect, or hypothetically looks up to anyway. I have been born into high status and am of high class, I am well bred and I know it; don't say I'm not.<p>

The point is that I am not for the likes of anyone and that is why I automatically despise whoever sent me these flowers. I check the tag and sneer in dismay at the petty couplet carelessly scrawled onto it.

_Each gentle bud upon each rose is like a young sapling of a tree,_

_So just like those baby flowers for us a young couple we must be,_

Vulgar; what a totally rude, offensive and blatantly vulgar note that was. Whoever he is I know quite simply that he does not hold any true long lasting feelings for me otherwise he would be patient enough to go through the long process of courtship that the upper classes withhold, though I do suppose he did go into courtship, just he jumped the boat and went in headfirst, forgetting the primary basics that you must build on. I spy the name printed on the bottom of the note and cringe at it.

_Assec Jaymond._

So now he is so high and mighty he can send me love notes? At a time like this? He knows little if nothing about the high end society he is submerged in. Doesn't he understand the ways that we do things here? You can't be yourself or state what you want; it is not done that way. You may never tell someone you love them unless you are married or soon to be and you never jump headfirst into courtship with nothing but a vulgar note and a seemingly offensive hug. But at the same time I must admit I am intrigued. Assec Jaymond has feelings for me, my father's business partner. Maybe I could swing this my way, make mother respect me. Mother has always swung men; wound them around her little finger like puppets tugged on string. It's what she has always done and always will do. Yet if I was to do the same, just once, then maybe I would earn the respect from mother that I deserved, make her realise that I am her daughter after all, that Marie Eyre is her daughter.

It seems so cruel though, so callous. Using Assec, using him. But what do I care? What do I care about him? Why should I care? He is nothing to me, nothing at all. He is less than the ground I tread on, the dust Celeste brushes away from me, the rain that plummets down from the sky. The rain, so simple yet cruel. A flicker of colours yet just grey, a tear shape like someone is crying but no-one is. People can't tell if you cry in the rain, it is so secretive. Yet the rain, in all of its coldness, embraces you, runs over you in streaks yet you barely notice it; you blink it off. You don't notice it until it is too late, until it is gone.

I cut myself out of my train of thought. What am I thinking? What is going on? Hatia's going into the hunger games and all I can think about is a stupid boy? What is wrong with me? I clench my jaw and stand up straight, back held aloft. I will write a letter to Assec, a reply. Something civil yet something cold. Something to show that his intentions are not welcome here and he best carry his motives someplace else. Though if I do that there will be no pleasing mother. He's the son of father's business rival. If I can convince him to do things then therefore indirectly I can convince his father. How would it hurt? And once mother sees what I'm doing she will be proud of me for once, she will love me like she always should have. And father will make money which means mother and I will hold a better lifestyle. All for a bit of simple twisting.

That's it. So instead of writing the planned letter I sit down carefully, pen and papers poised; and dictate a letter in my mind, one that would sound efficiently brief but interested, I'll write something I would write if I did care and if it really mattered to me, if he really mattered to me. I find my mind bubbling with ideas but I suppress them for a simple message, short and precise.

_Dear Assec,_

_I received your flowers and was very touched with the note attached. One could arrange to dine with you at your house tomorrow evening if necessary. _

_Yours,_

_Marie Eyre_

I read it over again and scribble out the 'very' before 'touched' and examine the slightly altered not as I copy it out again so not to look like I ever wrote 'very'.

_Dear Assec,_

_I received your flowers and was touched with the note attached. One could arrange to dine with you at your house tomorrow evening if necessary. _

_Yours,_

_Marie Eyre_

There, not too interested, not clamouring all over him. But hinting; the way the sophisticated would do it. I coldly place the paper inside an envelope, being careful to crease it precisely and carefully scrawl his name onto the front of it.

I walk up to the door, wait for a second, and jerk it open causing a surprised Celeste to stagger in from listening at the keyhole. She immediately straightens up and bows her head in apology. I simply raise an eyebrow and briskly give her the envelope; the rest should be self explanatory.

"Come straight back with the reply, don't dawdle on the way." I instruct like you would to a dog and when I see her pausing uncertainly by the door I slam it in her face so hopefully she'll get the message. I pause and hear the patter of her feet going down the staircase and press my eye against the keyhole in a less than dignified manner to be confronted with a clear hallway. Yes, she's gone. I straighten up and allow a slight smile to creep onto my face. There, I'm doing what Hatia said. She told me to do whatever I had to do to get to the top like she knew I would and I am going to do that. I'm going to go right to the top. Just you wait and see.


	6. My Mother

This is a quite short chapter, for which I apologise. I also apologise for the delay that took place for this chapter to come out. If you really want to know the details then read the most recent chapter from Shattered Hearts, that should just about clear things up. Thank you anyway, and I hope you enjoy this chapter and, of course, review.

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><p>The next morning arrives as I roll out of bed groggily ending in a crumpled heap on the floor and I suddenly realise in shock that my dinner date clashes with Hatia's chariot rides. They'll have a repeat for the chariot rides but should I really – yes, I should. I have to see Assec, Hatia can wait. It isn't as if it's the real games though, is it? I'd never do that, it's just the opening ceremony. Hatia can wait, she'll have to.<p>

The icily cold water splashes onto my face, waking me up as I stare bleary-eyed at the mirror in front of me. At me. I stretch out my arms, feeling my muscles squirm and my bones click into place after an extremely uncomfortable night. With a groan I grab a light yellow dress with dabbles of orange flicking over it and slip it on. There, it's just a bright, happy dress. Though somehow I feel almost sinful wearing it knowing that I, Marie Eyre, have a best friend who is going into the hunger games to die and I'm wearing _yellow_.

"Go away!" I snap when I see Celeste hovering by the door waiting to do goodness knows what.

"My apologies ma'am, just I have a message for you," Celeste says, bobbing her head in what looks only like a half-decent apology.

"Who from?" I query against her blushing face.

"Your mother ma'am," Celeste answers awkwardly with another bob of her head.

"Well spit it out then!" I snap.

"She kindly requests you immediately meet her in the dining room for your morning meal."

I smile as sweetly as I can bother, which doesn't exactly amount to much, and shove past Celeste blocking up the doorway. I can only imagine what my mother _really_ told Celeste to say. I scrunch up my eyes in desperation as I realise I haven't brushed my hair when I enter the dining room formally, knocking on the door.

"Enter," Snaps a cold and callous voice.

I slowly step forward and on second thoughts curtsey for her.

"Be seated," Mother commands and gestures to the seat at the other end of the length of the table from her. I note her powdered over face which is desperately being tried to be hidden from wrinkles, greying blonde hair, white in the dim light of the room and an ugly pea green dress which is almost like a robe that she's wearing.

"Marion Vivian Eyre," I flinch as my mother calls me by my full name. She usually uses my first name, but using my middle name too just can't be good, especially since my middle name is the same as her first name. It seems to be some sort of cutting sting she is settling in me, to remind me that I'm her daughter and I should do as she wish; which I will do, whatever the costs.

"It's just Marie..." I cut in but die off judging by the glare mother is sending my way.

"Don't interrupt me while I speak!" she snaps angrily.

"Yes mother, of course mother," I bob my head in shame like Celeste did to me earlier.

"Celeste informed me of your dinner _date_ with one Assec Jaymond this evening. Is this correct?"

She pronounces the word 'date' with such poison it seems to drip like venom out of her mouth and the look she is giving me with her stupid piercing green eyes to rival my sparkling blue ones is one of pure and utter hatred.

"Y-yes..." I manage to stammer, my whole outer shell of dominance and superiority stripped from me to reveal a small, helpless and shivering child eager to please her mother inside.

"Why?" the one simple word somehow seems to speak and convey so much emotion and so much hatred I find it hard to keep standing as I feel my legs suddenly wobble uncontrollably like when I start climbing at the rare occasion I have. I remember when I once climbed a tree. Hatia and I were down at the stables with Skye and Mister and I clearly remember the look of terror on Hatia's face when her brand new hat her mother had bought her for the reapings that day had whipped into the air and got stuck in a tree. It wasn't for fear of her mother; that was never a problem, but fear of the tree itself, since Hatia was afraid of heights. The memory of this event almost sends me reeling and I have to grip onto the ornate chair to steady myself, only to let go automatically in an instant when mother glares at me from underneath the layer of makeup slathered over her decaying face.

I clambered up that tree. At first it was easy, no big feat. I just leapt up and there I was, tossing Hatia's hat down without a care in the world. The very, very, very _high_ world. Yes, getting up was easy. But coming down was far from that. I suddenly noticed how _small_ everything looked from up there and how dreadfully high I was. Then suddenly a gruesome image of what I would look like if I fell crossed my mind and that sealed my fate. My legs wobbled uncontrollably almost in spasms and I found it really hard to breathe, as if my very breath was being sucked out of my lungs by some invisible power.

"Stop slouching Marion and stand up straight, oh, and pull that ridiculous gormless look off your face as well, it's not doing your already piteous figure any favours!" my mother snaps again, eyeing me with venom, "answer your mother now, go on."

"I thought, I thought," I gulp, "That maybe if I had control of the son I would have control of the father and therefore, therefore..." my voice drifts off past my thoughts.

"I see," mother snaps coldly, though I catch a slight glint of appreciation in her eye, though her face models itself to her usual expressionless mask which is trying to picture beauty but is really a pitiful mimic of the mystic power past her or anyone else's understanding; let alone control.

I hurriedly curtsy and back out of the room slowly, being careful not to bash into anything otherwise the constant look of scorn held on my mother's face very well might just multiply.

"Oh and Marion," I spin around to see my mother glaring at me bitterly, "brush your hair, it looks like the hay from those dratted stables you keep on visiting."


	7. Just Do Your Best

**A/N: **I'm sorry, I took absolutely _forever_ to publish this chapter, but this is going slow and steady compared to Shattered hearts, which is my main focus really. As a remedy, though, I've written an extra-long chapter for you all to relish in, and I hope you can take the short time to review as I have taken the relatively long time to write this chapter (maybe an hour and twenty minutes, something like that?). *Warning - this chapter contains the words *git* and *damn*... ;P*

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><p>The evening arrives too quickly, and my 'date' with Assec seems more and more impossible by the second. Just what do I think I'm doing, twisting his feelings like that? Is it even humane to do so? All I can think of is one indefinite answer – just do your best. 'Just do your best', what kind of answer is that? I'm about to wind around his feelings for me and use them against me. How stupid is that? How evil is that? Celeste interrupts me with an abrupt knock on the door signalling my preparation time is up. I would have had Celeste help me prepare if it was anything else, but this, I want this to be special. In which way, well, I'm not quite sure of that answer yet myself.<p>

"Are you ready, ma'am?" Celeste says from the other side of the door and I can imagine her bobbing her head while doing so, the exact same motion she would usually do when addressing me.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I murmur, but instead call out to Celeste, "Indeed!"

I feel the gasp run through Celeste's throat as she sees what I'm wearing. I was saving this for my father's birthday this year, but needs call and I have resided in this. A navy blue dress, deep like the inky sky at the end of the melting sun, is hung by a strap from one shoulder, my almost golden hair loosely tumbling down my back in the styled ringlets I so often try to destroy, now present and showing. I have even dabbed on a scarce bit of makeup, trying to illuminate my face. If anyone gets too interested in why I'm paying so much attention to this 'date' (I have had so many with different suitors I couldn't possibly count them) I can claim it's for Hatia that I am wearing this outfit, but to me that is an obvious lie.

"If I may say, you look stunning," gasps Celeste, taking in my glittery sheen.

"You may," I smile sweetly, before dropping the 'innocent girl' stance and glaring her down again. "Now go and do something useful for a change, instead of gawping at my outfit."

"Yes ma'am, right away ma'am," Celeste gabbles and hurries off down the hallway, trying to be as quick as she can.

With an almost depressed sigh I slowly sweep down the stairs, the floor-length dress seeming to appear as if I am gliding on water, and slowly push open the front door and step out into the crisp night air around me, sharp yet rejuvenating at the same time. I can tell from illuminating eyes hidden from view staring at me from the shadows that my appearance hasn't become unnoticed, but then again, Hatia has definitely given me some cover. I can't help but feel, with a gargling feeling swelling in my stomach, that Assec's father might not approve of me, let alone his mother. My father and his father being business rivals and all, he may have had the exact same message as my mother gave me, but from his parents instead. In fact, he might be playing the same game as I am, trying to flirt with me to twist my feelings and emotions and get me to influence my father and therefore his business. I do have the power after all. Well, I'm afraid his little plan's backfired and he's the one that's going to get bitten.

As soon as I approach Assec's house and rise up the steps the watchful eyes disappear as if they had never been there, melting into the background. With a moment's pause I clasp the bold lion's face on the door knocker and knock three times. In polite society you're meant to knock twice, but hey, I'm meant to be the one trying to get noticed. There's a pregnant pause as I feel my breath suck in an immense amount of air around me in earnest before the door open's a crack and a young girl's watchful face peeks through the slit in the door.

Her face looks puzzled, then illuminates slightly when she sees who it is, almost in surprise if anything. She looks about ten or something, and pretty harmless, but what is she doing in Assec's house? Wait a second, could I have possibly got the wrong house number? I check the sign, _42_, no, I definitely got the right one. So what's going on?

"Assec!" the little girl calls; her voice surprisingly loud for one so young and exceedingly giggly at the same time, "she's here to see you; she's actually here!"

"What did I tell you?" mutters a voice I know too well and I see, as the crack in the door widens, Assec tumbling down the stairs, a jovial look on his face; a look of total joy and dedication. Good actor then. As my foot passes the threshold the tiny girl scampers off, her coal black hair swinging behind her as she hurriedly scurries away as fast as she can.

"Who was that?" I ask in what's meant to be an interested tone, but just ends up coming out bitter, into the cold silence between us as Assec finally meets me by the door.

"Or rather; what," Assec smiles, and a bit too late I realise it was meant to be a joke and I manage to let out a rather small, squeaky and brilliantly pathetic laugh before leaning and shutting the door behind me, trapping out the cold. There's no escape now. Assec doesn't seem to mind about my late response though and steers me through the hallway into what looks like the main dining room. The table looks like it's been polished and he's lit the room in candles, surrounding me. Somehow I feel it's more than a romantic gesture since the rest of the house I've seen has been lit by candlelight, but then again, electricity is scarce in district eight and we might just be having one of our many power cuts. Or Assec's family isn't as rich as they like to let out.

"No, that was my younger sister; Aura," Assec smiles again.

"Aura? Pretty name," I say, trying to make light conversation. I don't need to lie actually, Aura actually is a pretty name.

"Glad you like it," Assec smiles, before motioning to the set table in front of us I have seemed not to notice.

"Won't your parents be joining us, or Aura?" I ask Assec in just about the kindest voice I can use, waiting patiently for a response.

"Oh no, they're out for the week, putting me in charge," Assec says, puffing out his chest slightly at the responsibility, "and Aura's already eaten. I've made sure of that."

The way he says it seems to invite something more, and I know it's my time to move; I just don't know what to say though. _Come on Marie_, I hiss to myself, _think of something, anything!_

"You're looking smart tonight," I blurt out, and find myself smiling inside for not saying something too stupid like I know very well could have happened.

"You're not too bad yourself," compliments Assec and I find myself blushing. No, it's just the heat of the candlelight, that's all.

"So, err... how are you faring?" I manage to stutter, almost cursing myself for not being as smooth as I usually am. Actually, usually when I go on a date my mother has set it up for me with who she might call 'suitable' suitors, who, I might add, are all slimy, self-obsessed, arrogant, pompous and exceedingly vain. So naturally I act coarsely and impolitely. Having to actually be _nice_ to my date hasn't occurred to me before and the idea's actually quite hard to get my head around.

"I'm faring fine, thank you. I've just signed up for the ranks, actually."

"The army?" I gasp, surprised. I hadn't put Assec down for the type, and anyway, that would mean he might go away and my plan would be ruined, foiled!

"No, no," Assec says and I feel a smile of relief slip to my lips, a smile Assec may interpret another way, "the peacekeepers. My parents didn't exactly want me to do that at first, they wanted me to follow in my father's footsteps; especially my mother. She's very... persuasive."

"Talk about it," I sigh, sinking into the chair slightly and even lowering my guard.

"I think I will," teases Assec, "well anyway, she wanted me to 'exceed my father and take on the burden of my family', blah di blah di blah, so I just got really mad at her one day and scrawled my name down for the ranks. She was far from pleased, but I think my father might have actually been slightly glad; it'd stop her from the excessive nagging she has bestowed on me recently. Anyway, Aura's always wanted to continue in the family business. I know it's not tradition, but seriously, who cares really? At least I'm happy and she's happy; and my father said he'll probably pull some strings and start me off in a cushy office job with reasonable pay. Of course that's not what I wanted when I signed up, but if I said I wanted to start at the bottom of the ladder I think my mother might have broken something."

I find myself giggling, and naturally too. He can talk so normally about his parents, with no fear over them or anything. In a way, he's exceeded me already. And his mother reminds me so much of mine that I wouldn't be surprised if they were twins. Of course that would make Assec and me cousins, which wouldn't do at all since it would foil the whole plan, but I think it's safe to say that we're not related; at least not closely anyway. Who can tell what bonds our distant relatives shared?

"Of course, the one thing she never resents from nagging me about is finding a wife," Assec adds seemingly off-handed-ly, but such a blatant show of his cards I find it hard not to choke on the scrap of chicken or some other type of bird that I'm eating.

"Err... same. Not with a wife, obviously. But a husband," I add.

"Yes, you're fifteen and I'm sixteen, correct?" Assec says, reminding me so much of this date I had with a totally pompous git I never saw again after; and for good reason. It ended with me shoving his head in a bowl of delicious looking pudding after he happened to 'mention' that if we were to have children he'd call them Audrey and Cuthbert. And not was it just a blatant and exceedingly vulgar attempt at flirting on just about the highest level, it was also a show in the worst taste of baby names I think I've ever experienced.

"I am, and you are," I say, careful to play this out correctly, and an 'O' forms in Assec's mouth in exactly the same way the other date did. That's it, I can't take this anymore.

"Oh Assec, I'm so sorry," I say in my sweet and simpering voice, turning my head down to cover my devious and glinting eyes.

"What is it?" Assec asks hurriedly, checking to see if I'm okay, which, he soon deduces no doubt, I'm not.

"It's just, it's just the Hatia's chariot rides are on tonight and I really need to see them, live. She my only, well, my best friend and I just have to see it now, I don't think I could bear a day of all of the others nattering away about it without me knowing anything about it, oh, I just have to see it. I suppose I'll have to leave then..."

I must admit, I don't believe I didn't get the main part in our school play, the way my eyes glisten on the verge of tears as I lift my head at the end of my miniature speech, and the pupils themselves seem to have doubled in size, making the phrase 'puppy dog eyes' really come true.

"Oh don't worry Marie, the meal's nothing special. We can cancel it if you need, I completely understand."

Score! I'll be back home and into a possibly lukewarm bath to soak over the information that I've learned anytime soon, I can watch the repays tomorrow if I need to, it's not like Hatia's going anywhere. It's just the stupid chariot rides where they prance around in idiotic costumes, waving feather boas and even doing the can-can one year.

"And we can both watch the chariot rides, here, in my living room. Aura can come down too!"

Damn.


	8. For I Am Your Hero And Evil's Fall

**A/N:** It's a short chapter and nothing much happens in it, but hey, I got it out quickly so there's a blessing. I originally wrote this song for Shattered hearts, but it somehow didn't fit in. I'm still wondering if I should use it as well, claim it's a song her mother taught her. That'd be cool, since there are loads of cross-references between these two, as you know. It's quite fun writing about Marie and then writing about her daughter, I do enjoy it a lot. So yes, a lot of names between these two have been used, which is both cute, awesome, and leaving me happy that I don't have to coem up with more awesome names. _Please_ review (and read all my other storues! ;P), and don't forget to enjoy yourself!

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><p>"Hey Marie, can I call you Marie?" a voice squeaks out from beside Assec's sofa. His sofa isn't at all like ours at home; in fact I prefer it a lot more. While ours is stiff and oriental, all for show, his is all about comfort, and the battered down effect only adds to it. Somehow I've ended up sitting on the sofa next to Assec, knowing that the chariot rides start in ten minutes and if I want to come up with an excuse then it better be quickly.<p>

"I suppose so, it's more preferable to Marion," I say offhandedly, barely glancing at Aura, Assec's little sister as she slowly creeps into the room.

"Is that your sister, the one on the screen? Only she doesn't look anything like you."

"No, her name is Hatia Upendo and she's my best friend," I sigh, reluctant to divulge such personal information to someone who's effectively a stranger to me, but I find that somehow I feel a lot more calm, now that it's the evening, and Assec is so close to me. If I was to reach out a hand I could hold his hand too, and then...

No! I snap myself out of my thoughts, not only is that a totally unladylike and unprofessional thing to do, it's also stupid since I don't even _like_ Assec; or so I keep telling myself.

"Do you- do you want to hear me, me sing a song? To calm your nerves and all..." Aura stutters. I'm just about to shout at Aura to tell her that I don't want to listen to her sing a stupid song, that I'm not actually that nervous since it's only the stupid chariot rides and that her singing would probably make me feel worse, when I remember that I'm meant to be winning Assec over, and being horrible to his younger sister might not be the best idea.

I glance at Assec, hoping for a shaken head to tell me not to listen to her with her stupid songs, but instead Assec smiles one of his ridiculously condescending and slightly warming smiles and raises his eyebrows slightly, nodding his head.

"Why not?" I say in the most positive and upbeat voice I can muster, which sounds about as happy as a carpet that's just been beaten within an inch of its life. If carpets have lives, that it.

Aura coughs slightly, her coal black plaits swinging enthusiastically, her face lit up as if the harvest festival had just come early. When she opens her mouth to sing I'm actually surprised to hear that she has a beautiful singing voice, clear like crystal and so harmonious that I actually draw my breath in, it sounds absolutely beautiful.

_Once upon a time and a beautiful place,_

_When grass grew in patches of flowers and grace,_

_And bumblebees hummed as the twittering birds,_

_Sang forth and swallowed pink thriving worms,_

_When peace was no problem and war was a lie,_

_Where everyone sang and no-one cried,_

_That time was so beautiful and at my heart,_

_That time was perfection, yet nothing could last,_

_Along came the whispers, so malicious and cold,_

_That started a war that would be a hundred years old,_

_The tranquillity vanished alongside the peace,_

_The love disintegrated and the whole breath ceased,_

_As songbirds turned to vultures and rabbits to hares,_

_Where moles ducked down under and food became scarce,_

_Springtime was winter that lasted an age,_

_All the creatures could feel was pure rage,_

_Then along came a hero who no-one could place,_

_A girl or a boy at anyone's age,_

_Just another person, another scene,_

_Yet they were someone who stopped the screams,_

_Then everyone loved and everyone cared,_

_No longer did they have to hide and be all scared,_

_My heart reached out and touched you all,_

_For I am your hero and evil's fall,_

_For I am your hero and evil's fall._

There's this pause when she finishes, staring at me expectantly, hoping for me to clap in applause, or at least smile warmly like Assec is doing, but instead I feel a chill run down the back of my spine. That song sounded almost rebellious at points, the way it said everything was perfect and then there was a war that lasted a hundred years, and then peace and tranquillity was returned by the singer. And, however much it pains me, I like it.

"Can you- can you teach that to me?" I ask her, my voice suddenly becoming very small and insignificant, and Aura's face lights up at my reaction, glee wrapping around her senses.

"Of course, of course! The chariot rides start in five minutes, shall we just go over the first few lines then?" Aura squeals happily.

"Why not?" I repeat like I did earlier.

"Once upon a time and a beautiful place, when grass grew in patches of flowers and grace and bumblebees hummed as the twittering birds sang forth and swallowed pink thriving worms," Aura sings again in her clear and beautiful voice, marking out the words, "come on, repeat it then."

I close my eyes and gather up as much effort as I can. Okay, just sing the song, it shouldn't be that hard. I clench my eyes shut, open my mouth and let the words pour out. "Once upon a time and a beautiful place, when grass grew in patches of flowers and grace and bumblebees hummed as the twittering birds..."

I break off my song judging by the silence that's enveloped the room, and everyone patiently listens to me. "What? Was it that bad?"

"No... no. It was, it was, it was... amazing," stammers Assec, finally breaking the barrier of silence between us, "I've never heard anyone sing something that well, not even Aura."

Aura glares at Assec angrily then sighs, "I have to agree with him there, however much it pains me. But then again, you're my student!"

"Really?" I question, confused. I can't sing. I've never been able to sing, at least not well anyway. Actually, I've never really thought about it, singing has never been anything I've taken any interest in.

"Yes, it was truly beautiful," Assec says, and then pauses slightly before adding the next part, "just like you."

And instead of the angry remark which usually would have whipped out of my tongue at such a comment I feel my cheeks flush red and my gaze drop to the floor. Aura giggles slightly, as if it is all such a big joke and then launches herself at Assec, landing on his lap. With a chuckle Assec tugs her upright onto his lap properly and then the screen on the television fizzles on, the well-known logo flashing onto it. Yes, there's no mistaking it, it's the hunger games logo. And that logo is, without a doubt, the entrance to the chariot rides. Well then, let's see the mistakes they've made this year then.


End file.
